


Find Me Where I Close My Eyes

by Nevanna



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dreamscapes, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 04:16:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17317931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna
Summary: During Shiro's absence, Keith spends some nights in the Black Lion.





	Find Me Where I Close My Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place around the beginning of Season 3, though it requires canon knowledge through the end of Season 6. It was written for the "grief" prompt (my wild card) in Round 9 of Hurt/Comfort Bingo.
> 
> The title is from the song "Starlight" by the Wailin' Jennys.

The stars spread out above Keith's head and straight to the horizon, start to form patterns that he recognizes – convincing him even more completely that he’s been here before – and swirl apart again into trails of color and light. 

When an even more familiar figure shimmers into view in front of him, Keith strides forward without hesitation. He realizes too late that he could end up running right through an intangible illusion, like he has in so many of his dreams. But then Shiro’s arms are solid and tight around him, his heartbeat is steady and reassuring, and – when Keith tilts his face up and pulls Shiro’s head down – the kiss is firm and sweet.

Long before Keith is ready, Shiro pulls back. “I knew you’d figure out how to form Voltron again,” he says. “I’m proud of you all.”

Keith shrugs as casually as he can when those words threaten to undo him. The most he can say is, “We had to try.” He bites back fretful confessions that _the team almost didn’t come together, because of me, and we almost couldn’t escape from one of Lotor’s traps, also because of me._ Shiro might say all the right things, but he doesn’t need to deal with any of that.

“Keith, I need you to listen,” he’s saying. “I’m not gone, not really. You have to tell the others that…”

The sound of the alarm drowns out the rest of that sentence, the stars blur together and deepen into an angry red, and Keith is aware of Shiro’s name in his throat and the cramp in his folded legs in the second before he opens his eyes. He curses under his breath.

And then he hears Allura’s clipped voice: “We’ve spotted two Galra fighters approaching! Be ready to move to your lions!”

Keith fumbles for his comm. “Way ahead of you.” This is the second night in the row that he’s given up any hope of sleeping in his own quarters, climbed into the Black Lion’s cockpit, and curled up in the pilot’s chair. He’s slept in less comfortable places before, and he knows, without thinking too hard about _why_ , that he’s safer here than anywhere else in the Castle. He doesn’t know or care what the other Paladins think of this.

Maybe he’d care, a little bit, if any of them guessed how many times (since their last fight with Emperor Zarkon, since the months after the Kerberos mission failed, since the Garrison officers started looking for a reason to get rid of the mouthy new cadet) that he’s dreamt of Shiro holding him tightly under the stars, telling him exactly what he’s been wanting to hear: _I’m proud of you. You can do this. I’m always with you._

He forces his mind into strategic mode. Dreams and wishful thinking won’t win this fight, or any of the fights that lie ahead. Still, as his – _their_ – lion roars to life around him, Keith spares a moment to whisper, “Thanks.”


End file.
